affiliation

noun

af·​fil·​i·​a·​tion ə-ˌfi-lē-ˈā-shən 

plural affiliations

: the state or relation of being closely associated or affiliated with a particular person, group, party, company, etc.

The radio station has maintained a longtime affiliation with the concert hall and often has featured performers as guests on the air.

A former Democrat, Joseph McCarthy had switched his affiliation and was elected in the Republican landslide of 1946 …

—Ted Widmer

… hundreds of businessmen owe their success to an affiliation with organized crime.

—William Bastone

Synonyms of affiliation

• association
• partnership
• relationship
• collaboration
• cooperation
• connection

Examples of affiliation in a Sentence

the Little League team, despite its name, the Northern Dynamites, has no affiliation with the Northern Dynamite Company

Recent Examples on the Web

Pollsters are already looking ahead to November, expecting David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who changed his party affiliation to Democrat last spring, to face off with GOP frontrunner Byron Donalds. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026

Institutional affiliation is provided for identification purposes only. — David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Two Democrats are facing off for the first time in the general election for insurance commissioner due to the open primary system instituted in 2011, in which the two top vote-getters advance regardless of party affiliation. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Penn Station belongs to everyone, regardless of political affiliation. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for affiliation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation